This year, Beasley Broadcasting’s radio station V103.3 will be broadcasting live with Marc Miller. He will also emcee the fashion show at 1p.m., featuring the latest in Belk and The Children’s Place infant/children’s fashion.

In addition to several mall tenants, there will be vendors that specialize in all stages of having a baby and young family.

The New Bern Fire Department will have a car seat clinic in the front parking lot during the expo. There are also many activities for children.

“Craven Smart Start is very pleased to again partner with the New Bern Mall to bring the Baby Expo to families in the region,” said Pinkie Moore, community outreach coordinator for Craven Smart Start. “This is a wonderful opportunity for parents who are expecting or who have young children to familiarize themselves with community resources and services and to learn about products for infants and toddlers.”

New Bern Mall noted that Joey Jones and Chick-fil-A are donating free Chick-fil-A biscuits coupons for the first 200 guests to register. Also, Kimberly Jones, independent sales director for Mary Kay, is providing a $100 gift basket and Wanda Kay’s School of Dance is giving $100 gift certificate. Those gifts will be given away on V103.3.

Here is a sampling of the week’s other top events:

Coastal Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention will be holding its annual public celebration today from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Bridgepointe Hotel and Marina in New Bern.

Topics include: “What youth are saying about teen alcohol and drug abuse; what youth are doing to reduce underage drinking; what lasting effects alcohol has on the teenage brain; what the military is doing to discourage irresponsible drinking; and what law enforcement is doing to get drugs off the streets.”

The New Bern chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America meets Tuesday at 11 a.m. at 1325 McCarthy Blvd. in the Common Room at McCarty Court Apartments.

The association is a group for people with all degrees of hearing loss, meeting the fourth Tuesday of every month. Its purpose is to open the world of communication for people with hearing loss through information, education, advocacy and support.

Page 2 of 4 - Tuesday’s guest speaker is Lorene Roberson from the North Carolina Assistive Technology office. She will explain the various devices and products available to hearing impaired individuals. The meeting is open to the public.

Call 635-2189 for information.

***

A “Social Media Summit” is slated Thursday at the Isaac Taylor Garden on Craven Street in New Bern.

“The goal is to help non-profits and businesses understand the necessity of being visible online from a non-technical standpoint,” said organizer Wendy Card of NewBernNow.com. “There are a staggering number of businesses and non-profits without web sites and/or social media sites and others who don’t know how to effectively use them. If you are one of them, the Social Media Summit is for you and your organization.”

She said local business owners and individuals are teaming up with New Bern Now to “help the community increase their revenue by either becoming visible online or increasing their customer/client base.

“We want you to take away the ‘big picture’ of how using webs sites and/or blogs, along with social media tools that can enhance your client/customer base, ultimately increasing your profits.”

Participants will receive a CD with useful information and contact information for the New Bern, Havelock and Pamlico County areas.

Scheduled to be in attendance are: Colleen Roberts, the city of New Bern’s public information officer; Kevin Roberts, the executive director of the New Bern Chamber of Commerce; Stephanie Duncan, the executive director of the Havelock Chamber of Commerce; Joyce Swimm, executive director of the Pamlico Chamber of Commerce; Don Elmore from the Sun Journal; Cindy Blot from Craven Community College’s Small Business Center; and a spokesperson for the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center.

The summit is open to everyone. There will be an attendance limit of 100 people, and Card said if there is an overwhelming response, she plans to offer additional days.

The cost is $10. Registration is available on the newbernnow.com web site. Send it with a check payable to “NC Life Media” to PO Box 13614, New Bern, NC 28561 or drop it off at the Isaac Taylor House, 228 Craven St. Deadline for registration via mail is today. Deadline for dropping off registration forms with check/cash at the ITH is Tuesday.

For more information, call Card at 638-6858, send an email with your contact information to include: your name, business/non-profit name, and phone number or visit NewBernNow.com.

***

Craven County business and community leaders will hold an executive briefing Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at Mount Olive College in New Bern.

The session is designed to discuss early childhood investments as a key strategy in building North Carolina’s workforce readiness and in developing a strong economic foundation for the state.

Page 3 of 4 - The featured speaker is Terri Colon, lead instructor of the Early Childhood Program at Craven Community College.

The briefing is one of several that the North Carolina Partnership for Children is hosting around the state.

According to the organizers, despite a high unemployment rate, many jobs remain unfilled. Many adults do not have the basic education and communication skills required to acquire and advance in jobs.

Effective early childhood programs enable children to become more creative, adaptable, team-read employees by developing “soft skills.”

Call 636-3198 by today for reservations.

***

The first meeting of “The Back Country Horsemen of the Croatan” is Thursday at the Craven County Agriculture Building on Industrial Drive.

It is located off the Clarks exit on U.S. 70 West. The meeting is at 7 p.m.

Mountain bikers and hikers are welcome to attend an information session on a cooperative effort to expand, maintain and improve the trail system in the Croatan National Forest.

For information, email edward5525@embarqmail.com

***

Friends of the New Bern Public Library’s “Big Book Sale” is three days this week, beginning Friday.

There are great selections at good prices at the Sudan Shrine Center on East Front Street in New Bern.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

***

The Pamlico County Library hosts it “Book to Film Series” Friday at 6:15 p.m. at the Hollowell Auditorium at the Bayboro facility.

On Saturday, the Junior Craft Club meets at 11 a.m. for jewelry-making, sewing, painting and other activities.

***

The Craven Arts Council’s Bank of the Arts Homecoming is Friday, with a 10 a.m. ceremony at the Middle Street gallery.

The gallery has been closed since earlier this year for extensive renovations and the installation of a new skylight.

The arts council has temporary offices at 308 George St.

A number of the artists will be on hand to talk with visitors. The Homecoming exhibit continues through December.

More than three dozen artists from all mediums whose works have appeared in past shows have signed on to create new works for Homecoming. In addition to the Bank of the Arts Gallery, Homecoming artists will be featured at the Duffy Exhibit Gallery. Several sculptures will also be placed at select sites in the North Carolina History Center.

For information, call 638-2577.

On the web: cravenarts.org

***

The 32nd annual New Bern area CROP Walk is Sunday at Union Point Park in New Bern.

Page 4 of 4 - Registration is at 2 p.m., with the walk at 3 p.m. There are 5K and 10K options.

The annual walk helps fight hunger in the area.

CROP Hunger Walks are community-wide events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by local congregations or groups to raise funds to end hunger at home and around the world.

Through Sunday, the walk’s web site reported $2,325 had been raised.

For information on registration fees, call 288-4927.

On the web: cwsglobal.org/crop-hunger-walk

Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-635-5667 or Charlie.hall@newbernsj.com